JP5381560B2 - Content replacement system, content distribution system, content replacement method and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a content rearrangement system, a content distribution system, a content rearrangement method, and a program, and more particularly, to a content rearrangement system, a content distribution system, a content rearrangement method, and a program that perform content rearrangement for changing the content arrangement. .

  Patent Document 1 has a function of recording and storing a program designated by a user terminal via a network or storing recording data transmitted from the user terminal, and receiving a reproduction request from the user terminal A recording service server that transmits the recording data to a user terminal via a network is disclosed.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a distributed storage integrated device that can suppress the use probability of the network during playback during distributed storage and avoids a playback error due to network band instability or the like. Specifically, when the free capacity of the storage means such as the built-in HDD is lower than the first threshold, the distributed storage and integration apparatus of the same document is electronically connected via the LAN until the free capacity reaches the second threshold. When the content data is transferred to the device and the free space of the storage means exceeds the third threshold, the content data is acquired from the electronic information device until the free space reaches the second threshold.

JP 2003-234984 A JP 2009-118289 A

  When a recording service server as described in Patent Document 1 is used, as described in Patent Document 2, network congestion and failure may occur, so that the video quality desired by the user cannot be reproduced. There is a case. For example, it is assumed that the user plays the content recorded on the recording service server while receiving the content at 8 Mbps (megabits per second). When a network failure occurs or network congestion occurs, for example, content data can only be received at 4 Mbps. Under such a situation, noise is generated in the reproduced content, or in some cases, nothing is reproduced, and the user cannot view a stable quality video.

  In this regard, the distributed storage and accumulation device of Patent Document 2 holds content data in the storage means of the distributed storage and accumulation device, not on the electronic information device, over the LAN until the free capacity reaches a certain value. is there. Since the distributed storage / accumulation apparatus of Patent Document 2 makes a determination based only on the free capacity, it can be stored in an apparatus having a capacity capable of storing content, but if the speed of reading content from the apparatus is slow, display means There is a problem that the video is not displayed in time, and noise appears in the video or the video stops.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and the object of the present invention is to adapt the content arrangement in a plurality of content recording devices available to the user to the distribution quality and the viewing style of the user. An object of the present invention is to provide a content rearrangement system, a content distribution system, a content rearrangement method, and a program that can be optimized from various viewpoints.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the transfer rate until the content held in each content recording device arrives at the playback device used by the user is used as the information related to the plurality of content recording devices usable by the user. Stored in the recording device information holding unit storing the performance information (distribution reading performance) obtained in this way, the viewing terminal specifying unit holding information for specifying the playback device used by the user, and the viewing terminal specifying unit. One of the content recordings according to a predetermined rearrangement policy with reference to the performance information (distribution read performance) stored in the recording device information holding unit of the playback device used by the user specified by the received information There is provided a content placement replacement system including a content placement destination determination unit that reviews a placement destination of content recorded in a device.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, a content distribution system including a content distribution device that distributes content from a content recording device that has been rearranged is provided by the content rearrangement system described above.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the step of specifying the playback device used by the user based on the information held in the viewing terminal specifying unit holding information for specifying the playback device used by the user; As information on a plurality of content recording devices that can be used by the user, performance information (distribution read) obtained by using the transfer rate until the content held in each content recording device arrives at the playback device used by the specified user. The recording device information holding unit storing the performance), the step of reviewing the location of the content recorded in any one of the content recording devices according to a predetermined allocation policy, and the review of the location of the content And a step of rearranging the content based on the result. This method is associated with a specific machine called a computer for rearranging contents held in a plurality of content recording apparatuses.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a process of specifying a playback device used by the user based on information held in a viewing terminal specifying unit that holds information for specifying a playback device used by the user, As information on a plurality of content recording devices that can be used by the user, performance information (distribution read) obtained by using the transfer rate until the content held in each content recording device arrives at the playback device used by the specified user. The recording device information holding unit storing the performance), the process of reviewing the location of the content recorded in one of the content recording devices in accordance with a predetermined allocation policy, and the review of the location of the content Based on the result, the process of rearranging the content is executed by a computer constituting the content rearrangement system. Program is provided. This program can be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium. That is, the present invention can be embodied as a computer program product.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to rearrange content to an optimum content recording apparatus available to the user. The reason is that a configuration is adopted in which information relating to a plurality of content recording devices that can be used by the user is referred to, the location of content is reviewed based on the rearrangement policy, and rearrangement is performed.

It is a figure showing the structure of the content rearrangement system of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart showing operation | movement of the content rearrangement system of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing the structure of the content rearrangement system of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart showing operation | movement of the content rearrangement system of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing the structure of the content rearrangement system of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart showing operation | movement of the content rearrangement system of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure showing the deformation | transformation embodiment of the content rearrangement system which added the viewing authority management part to the structure of FIG.

  First, the outline of the present invention will be described. Hereinafter, in order to simplify the description, for a terminal used for viewing content (hereinafter referred to as a viewing terminal), as a state indicating which content recording device holds the content to be viewed, a “local holding state”, Two states, “remote holding state”, are defined.

  The local holding state is a state in which content to be viewed is held in a content recording device directly connected to the viewing terminal via a bus, etc., and the content can be played on the viewing terminal with almost no influence from network congestion or failure. It is. For example, there is a case where a television set in the home is a viewing terminal and the content is held in a hard disk recorder with a playback function. Similarly, when a mobile phone terminal or PC (personal computer) is a viewing terminal and the content file is held in a recording device or memory card, the mobile terminal or PC plays back the content without being affected by the network status. Since it is possible, it is a local holding state.

  On the other hand, the remote holding state is a state in which content to be viewed is held by a content recording device on a network whose bandwidth is not guaranteed, such that the content playback may be affected by network congestion / failure It is. For example, when a streaming server reads a file from a content recording device and distributes the file via an external network such as the Internet, traffic on the external network may be congested. In this case, a delay occurs. Thus, the state where the playback of the content on the viewing terminal passes through the network whose bandwidth is not guaranteed is the remote holding state.

  The present invention refers to a recording device information holding unit that stores information related to a plurality of content recording devices that can be used by a user, and a predetermined information with reference to information about each content recording device stored in the recording device information holding unit. In accordance with a placement policy, the content placement destination determination unit for reviewing the placement location of the content recorded in any one of the content recording devices at a predetermined review opportunity, and the content based on the review result of the placement location of the content And a control unit that performs rearrangement.

  For example, it is assumed that the user can watch the content on a mobile terminal when going out and can deliver to the mobile terminal from a distribution server remote from home. At that time, in order to be able to view smoothly both when at home and when going out, the content to be viewed at home is held in a local state, and the content viewed at home is in a remote state (distant from home). It is sufficient to define a rearrangement policy that holds content near the distribution server. At this time, content that is known to be viewed by the user at home is transferred to a content recording device that is built in or directly connected to the viewing terminal at home, and a local holding state is realized. In addition, when it is determined that the remote holding state is desirable for content that the user knows to watch on the go, whether or not the required free capacity or video quality can be provided from a plurality of content recording devices, etc. In this respect, the most desirable content recording device is selected, and processing for transferring the content file is performed.

  As described above, the content distribution is rearranged from the viewpoint of conforming to the required viewing quality and viewing style (viewing place and viewing time zone) by the user, and thus content distribution is optimized.

[First Embodiment]
Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, a viewing terminal 100 having a function for holding content and a playback function, and a distribution device 200 having a function for holding content and a function for distributing content to a desired viewing terminal are shown. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, description will be made assuming that the viewing terminal 100 functions as a content rearrangement system, determines whether a certain content is to be in a local holding state or a remote holding state, and changes the arrangement of the content. .

  The distribution apparatus 200 includes a content holding unit 202 that records content, a transmission / reception unit 203 used for transmission / reception or streaming distribution of content held in the content holding unit 202, or transmission / reception of control signals associated therewith, and requests from the viewing terminal 100. The network recording apparatus, the distribution server, and the like including a control unit 205 that controls transmission / reception of contents and streaming distribution based on the above.

  The viewing terminal 100 includes a content placement destination determination unit 101, a content holding unit 102, a transmission / reception unit 103, a recording device information holding unit 106, a control unit 105, and a content reproduction unit 108. The viewing terminal 100 has a function of receiving and reproducing content by streaming or file transfer from the distribution device 200 via a communication line or a communication network. Examples of the viewing terminal 100 include a television (including an IPTV (Internet Protocol TeleVision)) terminal having a recording function and a network connection function, a personal computer, a portable terminal, and the like.

  The content holding units 102 and 202 provided in the viewing terminal 100 and the distribution device 200 are configured as various storages such as a hard disk drive and a nonvolatile semiconductor memory for holding content as a content recording device. The viewing terminal 100 and the distribution device 200 can upload or download the content held in the content holding units 102 and 202 via the transmission / reception units 103 and 203, respectively. HTTP (Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol) or FTP (File Transfer Protocol) can be used for transmission / reception of files by the transmission / reception units 103 and 203. For the streaming delivery, RTP (Real Time Transport Protocol) or RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) can be used.

  Although FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which one viewing terminal 100 and one distribution device 200 are directly connected, a configuration in which a plurality of each is connected can also be employed. In FIG. 1, the network between the viewing terminal 100 and the distribution device 200 is omitted, but an IP (Internet Protocol) network, a broadband network, an NGN (Next Generation Network), the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), mobile communication. The connection may be made through a network or the like. When connected via the network as described above, a plurality of distribution apparatuses 200 and a plurality of viewing terminals 100 can be connected by a network routing function.

  The recording device information holding unit 106 holds information related to the content recording device provided in the distribution device 200 and the viewing terminal 100, and is referred to when determining whether to set a certain content in the local holding state or the remote holding state. Is done. Specifically, the IP address for identifying each content recording device, the identifiers of the content holding units 102 and 202, status information (whether or not there is a failure, etc.), usable capacity (physical free capacity and corresponding user) , Etc.), the distribution reading speed at the time of transfer, the fluctuation amount of the distribution reading speed, etc. are held. Among these, the performance such as the delivery speed from the content delivery apparatus, its fluctuation amount, the read speed to the playback apparatus, and its delay are collectively referred to as delivery read performance. Such information is updated as necessary or periodically. Of course, the present invention is not limited to such information, and other items can be added or some items can be omitted as appropriate. 1 shows a configuration in which the viewing terminal 100 and the distribution device 200 each include one content holding unit, but each may include a plurality of content holding units.

  In the present embodiment, the “distribution reading speed” is defined as a transfer speed (throughput) until information arrives at the content reproduction unit 108 from the content holding unit 102 or the content holding unit 202. Further, it may be considered as an access time from the content holding units 102 and 202 to the content reproduction unit 108. More specifically, when the content holding unit 102 holds content, the content holding unit 102 and the content reproduction unit 108 are both arranged in the viewing terminal 100, and therefore, the transfer speed of the line connecting the two Corresponds to the delivery reading speed. On the other hand, when the content holding unit 202 holds content, the content holding unit 202 and the content reproduction unit 108 exist in different devices, and the transfer rate from the content holding unit 202 to the transmission / reception unit 203 depends on the network. The sum of the transfer rate and the transfer rate from the signal received from the network to the content reproduction unit 108 is the distribution read rate.

  When the distribution reading speed determined in this way is used, it is possible to compare the case where the content is in the same device as the viewing terminal 100 and the case where the content is remote (remote) with the same parameters. Normally, since the transfer speed between the content holding unit 102 and the content reproduction unit 108 is high, it is needless to compare with the distribution reading speed between the content holding unit 202 and the content reproduction unit 108. When a low-speed bus is used as a bus connecting the content reproduction unit 108 and the content reproduction unit 108 and the network connecting the content holding unit 202 and the content reproduction unit 108 has a high throughput, it is meaningful to compare the values. Have. In addition, as described above, when a plurality of viewing terminals 100 or distribution devices 200 are connected via a network, or when a plurality of content holding units are provided in the viewing terminals 100 or distribution devices 200 A significant comparison can be made according to each specification.

  The content placement destination determination unit 101 refers to the information in the recording device information holding unit 106, holds a rearrangement policy that is set so that it can be played back without delay on the viewing terminal 100, and according to which content recording Determine if it is appropriate for the device to hold the content. The rearrangement policy is, for example, a content recording device that is not out of order and has a certain free capacity, (1) selects the highest delivery read speed, and (2) the delivery read speed is constant. For example, it is possible to select a value that is greater than or equal to the value and that has less fluctuation. Further, a different rearrangement policy may be applied in accordance with the type of content and the attributes of the viewing terminal (or user). These will be described in detail in the second and third embodiments and later described later.

  When the content is rearranged according to the above-described rearrangement policy, the content is stored in order from the content recording device with the highest distribution reading speed. For example, it is assumed that the content is preferentially stored in the top two content recording devices having a high distribution reading speed among the ten content recording devices. Since the content is distributed from a content recording device having a high distribution reading speed, it can be reproduced without delay or error during content reproduction. In general, since the delivery reading speed from the content holding unit 102 in the same device as the viewing terminal 100 is often the highest, the content is stored from the content holding unit 102.

  The control units 105 and 205 control the exchange of information in each block in the viewing terminal 100 and the distribution device 200, respectively.

  The content reproduction unit 108 decodes the file read from the content holding unit 102 or the content holding unit 202, converts the file into a signal that can be reproduced by a display device (not shown), and reproduces the content.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. First, subscripts for identifying content will be described. Assume that the total number of contents is N, and a subscript i is assigned to each content. First, initialization is performed with i = 0 (step S308).

  First, the content arrangement destination determination unit 101 refers to the information held in the recording device information holding unit 106 and determines whether or not the i-th content (i) should be in a local holding state (step S302). It should be noted here that even if the content is the same, the determination as to whether or not it should be in the local holding state can vary depending on the time zone or the like. For example, if the delivery read speed is set to be updated periodically, the value changes momentarily depending on the network status, etc., so the result of the determination also depends on the network status at that time, etc. Change. As described above, when a plurality of content recording devices are provided on the viewing terminal 100 side, an appropriate one is selected from the plurality of content recording devices satisfying the local holding state. .

  When it is determined in step S302 that the content (i) should be in the local holding state, the control unit 105 checks whether the content (i) is held in the content holding unit 102 (step S306). Here, when the content (i) is held in the content holding unit 102 (Yes in step S306), since the content (i) is in the correct position, the value of i is incremented by 1 in step S309, Continue processing for the next content.

  On the other hand, when the content (i) is not held in the content holding unit 102 (No in step S306), the control unit 105 requests the distribution apparatus 200 to transmit the content (i), and the content holding unit 102 The content is transferred to (step S307).

  In step S302, content (i) is held locally, such as when the content holding unit 102 is out of order, there is no free space in the content holding unit 102, or when the content reading speed of the content holding unit 102 is slow. When determining that it should not be in the state, the control unit 105 refers to the information held in the recording device information holding unit 106, and the content recording device Y (this embodiment) that can perform streaming delivery to the viewing terminal 100 with the least delay. Then, the content holding unit 202) of the distribution apparatus 200 is specified (step S303).

  Thereafter, similarly to the case where it is determined that the local holding state should be established, the control unit 105 checks whether or not the content recording device Y holds the content (i) (step S304). Here, when the content (i) is held in the content recording device Y (Yes in step S304), since the content (i) is in the correct position, the value of i is incremented by 1 in step S309, Continue processing for the next content.

  When the content recording device Y does not hold the content (i) (No in step S304), the control unit 105 transfers the content to the content recording device Y (the content holding unit 202 of the distribution device 200 in this embodiment). (Step S307).

  In step S309, since i = (i + 1) mod N is set, after the above-described series of processing has been completed for all content, processing for reconsidering the necessity of rearrangement from the subscript 1 of the content is performed again. Repeated.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to stably reproduce content. The reason is that according to the relocation policy, it is necessary to repeatedly confirm whether each content should be held locally, whether it should be held remotely, or which device should be held if it should be held remotely. If there is, the content is moved.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, if the video quality is the same, a content recording device on the network is used as much as possible to obtain various types of information (presentation of related program information and related URLs) associated with the content data, and recording. It also becomes possible to respond to requests for obtaining benefits provided by service providers. Also in this respect, the present invention has a significant difference in comparison with Patent Document 2 that prioritizes content storage in the storage means in the device.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described that takes into account that the viewing terminal used by the user for viewing content can change.

  First, an outline of the present embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the content recording device is determined by referring to the information held in the recording device information holding unit 106 according to the rearrangement policy. However, the terminal used for viewing may change depending on the time of day or day of the week depending on the lifestyle of the user or his / her family.

  For example, consider distribution to a user who is at home from 6:00 to 7:00 in the morning and goes out between 8:00 and 9:00 in the morning. Considering that it is desirable to have a local holding state, it is desirable that the content be placed on a content recording device at home while the user is at home. On the other hand, when it is assumed that content is viewed on a mobile terminal while the user is out, the content is preferably placed in a content recording device having a distribution function to the mobile terminal instead of the home content recording device. In the above example, the time between 7 am and 8 am when the user does not view can be used as the time for content relocation. Furthermore, while the user is at home, the terminal used for viewing by the user may change depending on the time of day or day of the week, such as in a living room or a dining room. Therefore, there are cases where it is desirable to change the content recording apparatus even in the local holding state. Similarly, there are cases where it is desirable to change the content recording device depending on what terminal the user uses while the user is out. For example, it is conceivable to change the content recording device that realizes the local holding state or the remote holding state in accordance with the type of mobile terminal carried by the user or the connectable mobile communication network.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The difference in configuration from the first embodiment is that a viewing terminal specifying unit 107 is added to the viewing terminal 100. Hereinafter, the difference from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  The viewing terminal identification unit 107 holds information for identifying a viewing terminal that the user will use, such as a user behavior pattern (past viewing history) and schedule information. For example, it is assumed that the user's behavior pattern is that he stays at home until 7 am and goes out from 7 am to 6 pm. When the user is at home, the user views using the television at home and uses the mobile terminal while out.

  The content placement destination determination unit 101 refers to the user's behavior pattern held in the viewing terminal specifying unit 107, specifies which viewing terminal the user uses to play back according to time, and holds recording device information. The information stored in the unit 106 is used to determine which content recording apparatus should hold the content based on a rearrangement policy such that the delay is minimized or the error is minimized.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of this embodiment. The difference from FIG. 2 showing the operation of the first embodiment is that “step of specifying the viewing terminal used by the user” is added as step S401 first. The subsequent operations after step S402 are the same as those after step S302 in FIG.

  As described above, by rearranging the contents according to the terminal used by the user for viewing, when the user is at home, the user directly selects the viewing terminal used for viewing by the user among the content recording devices at home. When the connected content recording device is selected and the user is out, the content recording device that can provide better video quality is selected from the content recording devices that can be distributed to the mobile terminal, and the content is distributed. It is possible to make it. Further, according to the present embodiment, when the user is away from the viewing terminal 100 or the like, it is determined that the remote holding state should be set, and a space can be created in the content holding unit 102 of the viewing terminal 100. It is possible to use the capacity more effectively.

  The second embodiment can also be used for applications such as transferring content downloaded by a user to a portable terminal at hand by podcasting or the like for viewing on another terminal. This makes it possible to automatically transfer to a fixed terminal for viewing on a fixed terminal while at home or in the office, and return to a portable terminal again in preparation for viewing on a mobile terminal while moving. become.

  Instead of the viewing terminal specifying unit 107, it is also possible to use a method of specifying the viewing terminal by comparing the location information of the user from the GPS (Global Positioning System) device carried by the user with the location of the viewing terminal. It is.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a description will be given of a third embodiment of the present invention in which not only a terminal used by a user for viewing but also a content placement destination can be optimized in consideration of the viewing state and content of the content. To do.

  First, an outline of the present embodiment will be described. For example, in the case of an unviewed recorded program, there is a high possibility that it will be viewed from now on, so that it can be viewed quickly if it is in the local holding state. On the other hand, it can be considered that many of the programs that have been viewed are unlikely to receive a viewing request again in the near future, and the remote holding state is sufficient. Moreover, even if the program has already been viewed, a program that has been viewed a certain number of times or more can be considered to have a high possibility of receiving a viewing request again in the near future.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The difference in configuration from the second embodiment is that a content associated information holding unit 104 is added to the viewing terminal 100. Hereinafter, the difference from the second embodiment will be mainly described.

  The content accompanying information holding unit 104 holds information accompanying each content such as the number of times the content is viewed. For example, when a certain content Y held in the content holding device 102 has never been transmitted to the content reproduction unit 108 and has never been reproduced, the content associated information holding unit 104 reproduces the content Y. Information that the number of times is 0 is held, and is updated every time it is viewed. Of course, instead of the number of times of viewing the content, the presence / absence of viewing of the content may be held.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present embodiment. The difference from FIG. 4 showing the operation of the second embodiment is that, in step S601, the viewing terminal is specified for each content, and when the content recording device of S602 and S603 is determined. This is a point of referring to information accompanying the content. The subsequent operations after step S604 are the same as those after step S203 in FIG.

  Hereinafter, an example of the rearrangement policy used when determining the content recording device in steps S602 and S603 will be described. In the future, content that is likely to be viewed by the user in a short period of time is content that should be kept locally. The reason is as follows. When the content is placed in the content holding unit 202 of the distribution apparatus 200, it is necessary to have the content data sent via a communication line or a communication network at the time of reproduction, and the content can be reproduced without delay. It is not guaranteed that the data can be transmitted. If such content is left in the content holding unit 202 of the distribution apparatus 200 away from the viewing terminal 100 and the content is distributed and viewed from there during viewing, the user may not be able to view the content stably. There is.

  On the other hand, if the content is arranged on the viewing terminal 100, when the user views the content, it is not necessary to obtain the content data via the transmission means 103 and 203, and the delay due to the communication line or the communication network There is no need to be conscious of obstacles. Therefore, a rearrangement policy is created so that it is determined that those having a high reproducibility in the future should be in the local holding state. Content that is highly likely to be viewed by the user in a short period of time is content such as content that has been played 0 times as described above, content that the user is viewing every day of the week, or learning content. It is possible to discriminate on the basis that the content is created on the assumption that the content is repeatedly viewed. Further, for example, it is possible to cause the content placement destination determination unit to refer to a tendency for each user such that a news program is likely to be viewed immediately and a golf program is likely to be viewed later.

  The content that is determined to be in the local holding state as described above is also examined for rearrangement according to the flow illustrated in FIG. 6 at predetermined time intervals or every time viewing is completed. For example, when viewing is finished and it is determined that the user is unlikely to view in the future, the content is determined to be in the remote holding state and transferred to the distribution apparatus 200 side. Thereby, it is possible to make a space in the capacity of the content holding unit 102 of the viewing terminal 100, and it is possible to hold content that is newly determined to be in the local holding state.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, content can be rearranged in accordance with the viewing state and content of the content, and the limited capacity of the content holding unit 102 can be more effectively used. It becomes possible to use.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and further modifications, replacements, and replacements may be made without departing from the basic technical idea of the present invention. Adjustments can be made. For example, although not particularly mentioned in the above embodiment, the operation of moving or copying content (transfer of content) can be performed in a concentrated manner during a network traffic vacant period, for example, at night. It is. In this way, traffic congestion due to movement or copying of content does not occur, and it is possible to suppress the influence on other communication traffic. The movement or copy operation (content transfer) of the content may be started at a predetermined time, or provided with a traffic monitor (traffic monitoring unit) for monitoring the traffic situation. It may be executed after confirming that the traffic is low.

  In the above-described third embodiment, an example in which it is determined whether or not the local holding state is set based on whether or not the user has viewed has been described. However, other methods may be used. For example, the distribution device 200 has a function as a distribution server, but if the viewing terminal 100 does not have such a function, the distribution device 200 can be reproduced at another location or another terminal. Content must be placed in the content holding unit 202. In such a case, it is possible to determine whether or not a local holding state should be established by using an arrangement replacement policy that determines an arrangement destination in terms of whether or not there is a possibility of receiving a viewing request via a network. .

  In the above-described embodiment, the information held by the recording device information holding unit 106 is exemplified by the delay of delivery to the viewing terminal and the like, and the delay and the error rate are improved, but the recording device information holding unit 106 is described. Alternatively, the number of users that can be distributed simultaneously by the distribution apparatus 200 may be registered. For example, content that is likely to be viewed at the same time moves to the content recording device 200 of the distribution device 200 that has a large number of simultaneously distributable users, and content that has a small number of simultaneously viewed users has a small number of simultaneously distributable users. It is possible to change the arrangement such as moving to the content recording device of the distribution device 200.

  Further, as information held by the recording device information holding unit, information regarding whether or not the viewing terminal 100 and the distribution device 200 can receive file transfer may be held. For example, if the viewing terminal 100 is powered off, it may wait for the local holding state.

  In addition, a rearrangement policy may be employed in which the first part of the content in which the broadcast program is recorded is arranged in a content recording apparatus having a high distribution reading speed and the remaining part is arranged in another content recording apparatus. Usually, in order to reproduce digital content data, it is necessary to read the data as a buffer to some extent before reproduction. If the first part of the content is placed on a content recording device with a high delivery reading speed, playback can be started immediately after receiving a playback request, without waiting for a communication delay or buffer storage. . Data other than that for the buffer may be transferred after the reproduction request is received.

  Further, instead of or in addition to the distribution reading speed held by the recording apparatus information holding unit, it is also possible to use a signal transfer speed or bandwidth information from the distribution apparatus 200 to the viewing terminal 100. Also, the distribution reading performance including the amount of fluctuation of the distribution reading speed may be used as a material for determining the rearrangement.

  In the above-described embodiment, in order to explain the concept of “rearrangement” in an easy-to-understand manner, as a general rule, content movement or copying operation (content transfer) is performed. The content rearrangement in the content recording apparatus used by can be realized by rewriting the content viewing authority without physically copying or erasing the content of each user.

  In the above-described embodiment, the viewing terminal 100 has been described as having no distribution function, but may have a distribution function. In addition, a configuration in which a recording device information holding unit and a content placement destination determination unit are provided in the distribution device 200 can be employed. Further, a configuration in which a recording device information holding unit is provided in one of the viewing terminal 100 and the distribution device 200 and a content arrangement destination determining unit is provided in the other may be employed. Furthermore, it is also possible to realize the arrangement as a rearrangement apparatus that does not have the content holding unit and instructs the distribution apparatus 200 and the viewing terminal 100 to transfer the content and performs only the rearrangement.

  In addition, for example, if content of a predetermined number or more that has not been viewed or viewed frequently is set in a local holding state, the same content is arranged in a plurality of content recording devices as the entire system. . In such a case, it is possible to provide a rearrangement policy in which the remote holding state is set instead of the local holding state and the user is concentrated on the content recording apparatus that can be used by these users. As a result, the capacity of the content recording apparatus can be used effectively as the entire system. At this time, when there are a plurality of content recording devices that can be used by these users, a content recording device that can provide higher distribution quality should be selected.

  In the above-described embodiment, input of content to the content holding units 102 and 202 has not been described. For example, a reception unit that receives broadcast content via a broadcast radio wave or a network (wired or wireless) is provided. Can be realized. At this time, further, it may be controlled so that each user can upload to the distribution apparatus 200 as shared content on the premise of recording on the viewing terminal 100 (for the purpose of personal viewing). By managing the users who can access the shared content, it is possible to save the capacity for content retention as a whole system while maintaining the convenience that a user can freely view the content recorded personally.

  Hereinafter, a modified embodiment of the configuration and operation of the distribution apparatus 200 when it is assumed that the plurality of users share the distribution apparatus 200 will be described. For example, when there are a user A, a user B, and a user C, each of them records the same program Z. If each player records Z (capacity: ZZ) on the viewing terminal, each uses the capacity of ZZ, and uses a total capacity of 3 × ZZ. Further, even when each of them saves the same program in the content holding unit 202 of the same distribution device 200, if each content is handled independently, a total capacity of 3 × ZZ is similarly used. However, since these are the same content, if only one Z file is stored and each user knows that the Z content is stored, it is the same as storing three identical files. Can be realized. As shown in FIG. 7, this is realized by providing a viewing authority management unit 206 that manages that each user holds the content of Z. The viewing authority management unit 206 manages and grasps that the content held by the user A is Z, the content held by the user B is Z, and the content held by the user C is Z. . In this case, the capacity used is only Z.

  In addition, if information that can be shared by information managed and grasped by the viewing authority management unit 206 is sent from the distribution device 200 to the viewing terminal 100 that may be shared, each viewing terminal You can see the information and decide whether to upload. For example, in the first to third embodiments described above, even if it is determined that the remote holding state should be set, if the same content is held on the distribution device 200 side, transmission of the content may be suppressed. It becomes possible.

  In addition, as a result of each user uploading to the distribution apparatus 200 as a result of the user uploading to the distribution apparatus 200, the control unit 205 checks whether there is a shareable part and shares the shareable part as described above. You may do it.

  Specifically, the following method can be considered. Assume that user A first uploaded content Z. Next, when the user B attempts to upload the content Z, the viewing authority management unit 206 confirms whether the same content Z already exists in the content holding unit 202. Now, since the content Z has already been uploaded from the user A, the viewing authority management unit 206 records that the content B is the owner in addition to the user A. Therefore, the user B does not need to actually upload the content Z.

  With these methods, the capacity of the content holding unit 202 used in the distribution apparatus 200 can be saved. For example, if three people share a common content file, the usage amount of the content holding unit 202 can be saved to 1/3. Other users do not have to occupy the communication line for uploading the content Z, and there is an effect that the communication line can be used effectively.

  Further, when the user B performs streaming or downloading of the content Z from the distribution apparatus 200, it is as follows. User B sends a streaming or download request for content Z to distribution apparatus 200. When receiving the request, the distribution apparatus 200 inquires of the viewing authority management unit 206 whether the user B has the content Z. When the response that the user B owns the content Z is obtained from the viewing authority management unit 206, the distribution apparatus 200 starts streaming the content Z shared among a plurality of users or performs file transfer. . It is desirable that the control unit 205 be able to use a memory that is equal to or larger than the content size. As a result, when streaming or file transfer, it is possible to read the content file into the memory and then perform streaming or file transfer. Further, if the memory size is equal to (content file size) x (number of users used at the same time), file transfer and streaming can be performed at the same time (for the users used at the same time).

  In addition, as a rearrangement policy when content is shared as described above, it is possible to adopt a policy of selecting a content recording device that has the same access time from each shared user as much as possible. In this case, in the content recording device that realizes the remote holding state, viewing conditions (such as satisfying the above-described distribution reading speed and being available to each shared user) are not significantly biased in the shared user viewing terminal. Such a content recording device is selected.

  As another sharing method, even if the contents of user A and user B are not exactly the same contents, if there is a common part in a part of the file, only one common part is saved, and viewing authority management is performed. A method may be used in which the unit 206 manages the common part in association with the user. The parts that are not common parts are assigned to the holding areas assigned to the respective users, and those common parts and parts that are not common are connected as necessary, such as when transferring content.

  For example, it is assumed that the content broadcasted at 10: 50-11: 50 of a certain program M by the user A is recorded and stored on the viewing terminal 100 side of the user A. On the other hand, it is assumed that the user B has recorded the contents of the program M broadcasted from 11:00 to 12:00 and stored it on the viewing terminal 100 side of the user B. The portion of the program M broadcasted at 11: 00-11: 50 is a portion n common to the users A and B, and the same method is used for coding the portion. Thereafter, it is determined that each viewing terminal 100 should be in the remote holding state and uploading has been performed. At this time, since the part n can be shared by the user A and the user B, the distribution apparatus 200 holds only one part n of the uploaded program M by the user A and the user B. The viewing authority management unit 206 records that the portion n is a portion of the program M at 11: 00-11: 50 and is shared by the user A and the user B. On the other hand, since the part specific to user A (the part of program M 10: 50-11: 0) cannot be shared, it is held in the area unique to user A as the part of program M 10: 50-11: 0 . Similarly, the 11: 50-12: 00 portion of the program M is stored only in the user B, and is therefore stored in a unique area of the user B. When the user A requests the reproduction of the program M, the control unit 205 acquires the above content from the viewing authority management unit 206, reads the portion of 10: 50-110: 00 from the user A's unique area, Are read out from the shared portion, and are connected and reproduced.

  In the above description, it is considered that user A and user B have the same start time (11:00) and end time (11:50), and coding is the same as n, which is a common part. Even if the coding (screen resolution and image compression method) is different, if the start time and the end time are common, either user A or user B may be used and stored. In that case, if the coding with the higher resolution is stored, there is an effect that it is possible to respond to a content transmission request at a higher resolution later. Now, assuming that the resolution of user A is high, in response to user A's playback request, the content may be transferred with the high resolution, and for user B who is supposed to be stored at a low resolution, Streaming or file transfer may be performed after performing resolution reduction processing (transcoding).

100 viewing terminal 101 content placement destination determination unit 102, 202 content holding unit 103, 203 transmission / reception unit 104 content associated information holding unit 105, 205 control unit 106 recording device information holding unit 107 viewing terminal identification unit 108 content reproduction unit 200 distribution device 206 Viewing authority management department

Claims (14)

Performance information (distribution reading performance) obtained by using the transfer rate until the content held in each content recording device arrives at the playback device used by the user as information on a plurality of content recording devices available to the user A stored recording device information holding unit;
A viewing terminal specifying unit that holds information for specifying a playback device used by the user;
Referring to the performance information (distribution read performance) stored in the recording device information holding unit of the playback device used by the user specified by the information held in the viewing terminal specifying unit , a predetermined rearrangement policy In accordance with the content placement destination determination unit for reviewing the placement location of the content recorded in any of the content recording device,
And a control unit that rearranges the content based on a review result of the content placement destination.   The content placement destination determination unit is capable of storing the content subject to review of the placement destination and stores the content subject to review of the placement destination on the content recording device having high delivery reading performance. The content rearrangement system according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement destination is reviewed. The content rearrangement system according to claim 1 , wherein the viewing terminal specifying unit holds user viewing reservation information or a user's past viewing history as information for identifying a viewing terminal that is a content distribution destination. And a content-associated information holding unit for holding content-associated information including whether the user is viewing or not viewing the content,
The content placement replacement system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the content placement destination determination unit reviews a content placement destination by using whether or not the content has been viewed as a determination factor. The content accompanying information includes the number of times the user views the content,
The content placement destination determining unit, the content recording device determined by referring to the distribution reading performance, so that the content of high viewing frequency of unviewed or user is located, claims 1 to review the placement destination of the content 4 Any one of the content rearrangement systems. The content accompanying information includes the number of times the user views the content,
The content placement destination determining unit, a plurality of users with high content of non-viewing or viewing frequency, so that the plurality of user places the content recording device available, any claims 1-5 to review the placement destination of the content A single content relocation system. The content rearrangement system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the content rearrangement is performed while avoiding a time zone in which a load of a network connecting the content recording devices is heavy. Furthermore, the content recording device includes a content recording device and a transmission / reception unit that receives content from another content recording device, and has a function of acquiring and outputting the content requested by the user from any one of the content recording devices. The content rearrangement system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which functions as a user terminal with a function. The content according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the plurality of content recording devices include a network recording device, and content rearrangement in the network recording device is performed by rewriting the content viewing authority of the certain user. Relocation system. Delivery device and, a content distribution system configured by connecting the claims 1 to 9 any one of content placement exchange system of the content. Identifying a playback device used by the user based on information held in a viewing terminal specifying unit holding information for specifying a playback device used by the user;
As information on a plurality of content recording devices that can be used by the user, performance information (distribution) obtained using transfer rates until the content held in each content recording device arrives at the playback device used by the specified user Reviewing the arrangement destination of the content recorded in one of the content recording devices according to a predetermined arrangement replacement policy with reference to the recording device information holding unit storing the reading performance);
And a step of rearranging the content based on a result of reviewing the placement destination of the content. Wherein it can store the contents of the placement destination of the review target, and the delivery reading performance high content recording apparatus, according to claim 11 in which the content of the review target of the arrangement destination review the placement destination of the content to be placed Content placement method. A process of specifying the playback device used by the user based on information held in the viewing terminal specifying unit holding information for specifying the playback device used by the user;
As information on a plurality of content recording devices that can be used by the user, performance information (distribution) obtained using transfer rates until the content held in each content recording device arrives at the playback device used by the specified user A process of reviewing the arrangement destination of the content recorded in any one of the content recording devices according to a predetermined arrangement policy, with reference to the recording device information holding unit storing the reading performance)
The program which makes the computer which comprises a content rearrangement system perform the process which rearranges the said content based on the review result of the arrangement | positioning destination of the said content. Is capable of storing content review target of the placement destination, and the distribution read performance high content recording apparatus, according to claim content review target of the placement destination is to review the placement destination of the content to be located 13 Program.

Images